Atlanta Medical Malpractice Attorney May Help After Dementia Misdiagnosis

The worst case scenario is often feared at the first signs of dementia. Loved ones and doctors of those who experience periods of dementia often assume that dementia and related symptoms mean that the person has Alzheimer’s disease. While many patients with dementia have Alzheimer’s, it is not universally true. Some patients may have other conditions, and those conditions may be treatable if a patient gets a proper diagnose. A misdiagnosis can be devastating for a patient and his or family and may prompt a call to an experienced Atlanta medical malpractice attorney.

Why Dementia Misdiagnoses Occur and What a Dementia Misdiagnosis May Cost a Patient
One cause of dementia, that is not Alzheimer’s disease, is Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus or NPH. NPH affects an estimated 400,000 Americans, but experts believe that it may be misdiagnosed, and thus untreated, as much of 90% of the time.* Patients who are correctly diagnosed can undergo a procedure to have a shunt put in that drains excess fluid from the brain to the stomach.

Approximately 80% of NPH patients who are correctly diagnosed and treated experience a significant decrease in symptoms, and many are able to continue leading their lives instead of suffering from dementia, bladder control and other symptoms.

How to Contact an Experienced Atlanta Medical Malpractice Attorney
If your loved one’s dementia was misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease or another condition, then your loved one, you, and your family have likely suffered. Please contact an experienced Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer to discuss the failure to diagnose and to learn more about your legal rights and potential recovery.

You can reach a lawyer at our experienced Atlanta medical malpractice law firm by filling out our online contact form or calling us directly at 1.770.518.1133. We also encourage you to learn more about misdiagnoses in our FREE book: Why Did This Critical Medical Error Happen to Me?*Source: CBS Dallas Fort Worth, Treatable Condition Can be Misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s, October 17, 2011